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Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:37:40 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1New PITCH PERFECT 2 Trailer Pitch Slaps The Worldhttp://www.nerdist.com/2015/02/new-pitch-perfect-2-trailer-pitch-slaps-the-world/
http://www.nerdist.com/2015/02/new-pitch-perfect-2-trailer-pitch-slaps-the-world/#commentsTue, 10 Feb 2015 19:30:33 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=225353The Barden Bellas are moving on up to the international stage in Pitch Perfect 2. They’re competing in an a cappella world championship, but the latest trailer for the film begins with an aca-awkward moment. The Bellas are in Washington D.C. to perform for the President of the United States, and things go horribly awry. Like, in the worst way possible. The guffaw apparently gets them suspended, but they can redeem themselves by winning the championship. Watch:

I’m feeling so aca-excited that I’m going to put aca in front of aca-everything even when it’s not appropriate.

Actually, I’m a tiny bit concerned the sequel won’t capture the magic combination of music, energy, and friendship that made the first Pitch Perfect so endearing and lovable, but with emphasis on the word “tiny.” The writer from the first film, Kay Cannon, is back, much of the cast has returned, and Elizabeth Banks is at the helm. I’m not terribly concerned, but I hope it doesn’t only focus on gags. This trailer has its fair share of them.

Aside from the laughs, the brand-new trailer is definitely not slacking in the music department. I have a strong feeling I’ll be ordering the soundtrack. Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls),” Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison,” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” are already in my head. But, I have a soft spot for a cappella takes on anything and everything. I’m an easy demographic to please.

Pitch Perfect 2 takes the stage on May 15, 2015.

What do you think of the latest footage from Pitch Perfect 2? Let us know in the comments.

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2015/02/new-pitch-perfect-2-trailer-pitch-slaps-the-world/feed/6Movie Morsels: Michael Keaton Talks SKULL ISLAND, Plus a LEGO BATMAN MOVIE Update!http://www.nerdist.com/2015/02/movie-morsels-michael-keaton-talks-skull-island-plus-lego-batman-movie-update/
http://www.nerdist.com/2015/02/movie-morsels-michael-keaton-talks-skull-island-plus-lego-batman-movie-update/#commentsMon, 02 Feb 2015 14:00:30 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=223541Happy Super Bowl Monday, everyone! Did y’all enjoy yesterday’s new trailers for Tomorrowland, Fast & Furious 7, Seventh Son, and Jurassic World? Because we’ve got a couple more TV spots you may have missed for Pitch Perfect 2 and Kingsman: The Secret Service. Today’s Movie Morsels also features an exclusive update on Kong: Skull Island from star Michael Keaton himself! As well as the latest on The Lego Batman Movie and How to Train Your Dragon 3. So pull up a chair and fix yourself a plate of those leftover nachos and wings!

Kong: Skull Island

This weekend I had the opportunity to watch Michael Keaton accept the 30th Santa Barbara International Film Festival‘s highest honor, the Maltin Modern Master Award. Beforehand, I spoke with the star of Birdman (pictured above) on the red carpet, and asked him about Kong: Skull Island, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts King Kong spin-off for which he’s been in talks to star alongside J.K. Simmons and Tom Hiddleston. (Or, if you want to get genre about it, Batman may team up with J. Jonah Jameson and Loki!) Keaton seemed cautiously optimistic about the Universal project; but, when I asked him about his character, he told me his participation is still not a done deal: “No, we’re still talking about Skull Island. I mean, we’ll see if that happens or not, right? It’s still being written and we’re just talking about the possibility of it.” Fingers crossed the film’s final script proves strong enough to net the Oscar nominee.

The Lego Batman Movie

The Lego Movie Directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord appeared at this weekend’s Annie Awards for film and television animation, along with editor Chris McKay, who’s directing the spinoff Lego Batman Movie featuring the Will Arnett-voiced Caped Crusader. Regarding the upcoming film, McKay said, “We looked at Batmobiles this morning. We went to Warner Bros. and opened up all the Batmobiles; we took photos of the interiors and the exteriors, as well as of the costumes and artwork. It was amazing. It was the best trip.” Miller and Lord said they’ll try on the various Batsuits next, and that they want to wear the Adam West suit and “the Joel Schumacher one with the nipples.” Lord explained that he “wants the sexiest one.” The filmmakers had previously announced that Lego Batman will acknowledge every era of Batman movies.

Speaking of the Annie Awards, writer-director Dean DeBlois was also at this weekend’s ceremony, picking up the awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Director for How to Train Your Dragon 2. DeBlois said that the next installment in the franchise will be more focused on Toothless: “I’m halfway through the script. It continues to track Hiccup’s coming of age, but it’s also equally shared now that Hiccup and Toothless are chiefs of their clans. The story also follows Toothless’ storyline, and I think audiences will like that because they seem to respond well to Toothless’ antics and what seems to be going on in his head.” The filmmaker also revealed that “This is the last one that I’ll be directing. This [trilogy] tracks the completion of Hiccup’s coming of age and ends this specific story. If the How To Train Your Dragon world leads to more sequels, I think it will be in a creatively different direction. It’s a possibility but not something that I’m currently developing.”

In addition to yesterday’s TV spots for Seventh Son, Jurassic World, Tomorrowland, and Fast & Furious 7, the Super Bowl also gave us a new behind-the-scenes look at Pitch Perfect 2, illustrating what happens when the Green Bay Packers meet the Bellas. Directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Anna Kendrick, the sequel to 2012’s Pitch Perfect opens on May 15th.

Sequels that take the underdog cast from the first film and show them the big wide world are a time honored tradition. The Bad News Bears went to Japan, The Mighty Ducks faced off against Iceland in LA, and even Rocky Balboa went to Russia like only he could. It only stands to reason that the Bellas would make the same international leap in their sequel. Team USA is being repped well. (Even if the teams mouthpiece is Australian.)

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2015/02/pitch-perfect-2-big-game-spot-sets-an-international-stage/feed/4Movie Morsels: Chris Rock’s TOP FIVE Red-Band Trailer, PITCH PERFECT 2 Breaks Hearts, and THE CROW Flies Againhttp://www.nerdist.com/2014/12/movie-morsels-chris-rocks-top-five-red-band-trailer-pitch-perfect-2-breaks-hearts-and-the-crow-flies-again/
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/12/movie-morsels-chris-rocks-top-five-red-band-trailer-pitch-perfect-2-breaks-hearts-and-the-crow-flies-again/#commentsThu, 04 Dec 2014 14:00:26 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=206721With the holiday movie season upon us, there’s no telling what you’ll find in Movie Morsels these days. Today, for example, we’ve got the red-band trailer for what many are calling the funniest Chris Rock project ever — Top Five. As well as a tearjerking new poster for Pitch Perfect 2 featuring star Anna Kendrick and her “Cups”, the latest on the Crow reboot, and the next projects from Matthew Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Bruce Willis!

Top Five

Chris Rock’s latest is winning the funnyman director the best reviews of his life. One look at the just-released red-band trailer below and it’s easy to see why. Due out on December 12th from Paramount, Top Five “tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist (Rosario Dawson) forces him to confront the comedy career—and the past—that he’s left behind.”

[Paramount]

Pitch Perfect 2

Aw, why you so sad, Anna Kendrick? Continuing the recent movie poster trend in which a film’s main character is made to appear completely miserable (I see you hiding there, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), the latest promotional image for Pitch Perfect 2 finds Kendrick’s Beca looking like she just lost her best friend, as she gazes forlornly at her trademark musical instrument. Could she be saying goodbye to the *choke* Bellas? Whatever goes down, Pitch Perfect 2 will sing on May 15, 2015.

The much-discussed remake of the cult-fave 1994 supernatural revenge thriller The Crow (based on creator James O’Barr’s comics) is finally moving forward under Relativity with a new director in place — Corin Hardy. “Hardy has gotten a bit of cred in that fanboy favorite helmer Edgar Wright was the one who recommended him to Edward R. Pressman, who produced the original 1994 film and is producing the reboot. Hardy replaces F. Javier Gutiérrez, who was attached but signed on to the direct the next installment of The Ring franchise. That made him unavailable to helm The Crow, which is slated for a spring production start with a script by Cliff Dorfman.”

Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service opens on February 15th, but the X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass director isn’t looking to break from filmmaking any time soon. Vaughn’s production company MARV Films has just acquired the rights to the hit YA series ghostgirl. “Vaughn will produce the adaptations with marketing exec-turned-producer Valerie Van Galder. ghostgirl is a school set satire telling the tale of one Charlotte Usher, a girl who feels invisible and then one day dies after choking on a gummy bear. The books detail her new undead life and her unwillingness to let go of her very much alive high school crush… The books are New York Times best-sellers and the first novel was published in more than 20 languages in nearly 30 countries.”

Jonah Hill hasn’t made a misstep in years, starring in a long string of high-caliber drama and hilarious comedies for everyone from Martin Scorsese to Seth Rogen. Now the much-praised Superbad graduate may star in Hangover director Todd Phillips’ Arms and the Dudes. “Jesse Eisenberg and Shia LaBeouf had to depart due to delayed scheduling, and Warners worked fast to find replacements. The studio has offered the co-starring role to Miles Teller to replace LaBeouf. Based on the Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson, the story follows the two unlikely arms dealers who got a $300 million contract to supply weapons for U.S. allies in Afghanistan. They soon found themselves in danger abroad and in trouble back home because they were completely out of their depth.”

Bruce Willis just can’t seem to resist a chance to star in sci-fi thrillers. The The Fifth Element, Twelve Monkeys, and Looper star will next appear in Vice, in which he plays “Julian Michaels… [who] has designed the ultimate resort: Vice, where anything goes and the customers can play out their wildest fantasies with artificial inhabitants who look, think and feel like humans. When an artificial (Ambyr Childers) becomes self-aware and escapes, she finds herself caught in the crossfire between Julian’s mercenaries and a cop (Thomas Jane) who is hell-bent on shutting down Vice, and stopping the violence once and for all.” Here’s the film’s first trailer.

What do you think of today’s top stories? Let us know in the comments below!

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2014/12/movie-morsels-chris-rocks-top-five-red-band-trailer-pitch-perfect-2-breaks-hearts-and-the-crow-flies-again/feed/0There’s Finally a Trailer for PITCH PERFECT 2: The Time For Aca-Puns is Now, Pitcheshttp://www.nerdist.com/2014/11/theres-finally-a-trailer-for-pitch-perfect-2-the-time-for-aca-puns-is-now-pitches/
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/11/theres-finally-a-trailer-for-pitch-perfect-2-the-time-for-aca-puns-is-now-pitches/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 23:00:46 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=203101Aca-an’t believe it (just prepare now — there’s going to be a lot of those, because Internet): the trailer for the sequel to the wildly popular film Pitch Perfect — the shockingly titled Pitch Perfect 2 — has finally arrived from its spring break tour of the west coast where it sang its little heart out at a bunch of local colleges, and it’s here to delight and aca-stound you with what it’s learned and how much has changed for the badass Barden Bellas.

But one thing that hasn’t aca-changed? That DAMN “Cups” song, you guys. In fact, Anna Kendrick’s rendition of the song (one that actually made her a Billboard-charting aca-artist, true story) is what starts off the whole affair, though it’s not long before the other Bellas join in. These are some ladies reborn, y’all! Gone is all the infighting and “tradition” versus “modernity/taking risks” business of the first film. So where’s the drama going to take us?

International, baby. With newest baby Bella (Hailee Steinfeld) in tow, the ladies are off to the international championships which means — watch out! — there’s probably going to be a lot of jokes about German accents and their general severity. Also: Bumper’s back! Which is sure to mean a lot of aca-ego-stroking and sexual tension between Fat Amy and him. Will their secret love affair survive the hop, skip, and a-jump overseas? And what about Jesse (Skylar Astin) and Beca? Is this just Mighty Ducks 2, but with singing instead? So many questions, so many jokes — will we survive the aca-pocalypse?

The Elizabeth Banks-directed, Kay Cannon written sequel hits theaters May 15th. Are you excited? Let us know in the comments.

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2014/11/theres-finally-a-trailer-for-pitch-perfect-2-the-time-for-aca-puns-is-now-pitches/feed/0Movie Morsels: First Look at PITCH PERFECT 2, PROMETHEUS 2’s New Xenomorph, and the Goblins of LABYRINTH Return!http://www.nerdist.com/2014/11/movie-morsels-first-look-at-pitch-perfect-2-prometheus-2s-new-xenomorph-and-the-goblins-of-labyrinth-return/
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/11/movie-morsels-first-look-at-pitch-perfect-2-prometheus-2s-new-xenomorph-and-the-goblins-of-labyrinth-return/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 14:00:37 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=202904In today’s Movie Morsels, the ladies of Pitch Perfect are back (literally) with a teasing first look at next year’s Pitch Perfect 2. While Ridley Scott offers some clues to the new alien he’ll introduce in Prometheus 2. If cute creepy critters are more your thing, we’ve got word that the designer of Labyrinth‘s goblins will see his creations star in a solo film all their own. Plus the trailer for The Woman in Black 2 and more!

Pitch Perfect 2

Universal has just unveiled the teaser poster for its eagerly awaited Pitch Perfect 2, and it’s all kinds of aca-awesome. The film, starring the always adorable Anna Kendrick and directed by Pitch 1‘s producer and co-star Elizabeth Banks, arrives on May 15th, while the the first trailer lands today.

Not at all coincidentally, Pitch Perfect 2 is featured on the cover of this week’s Entertainment Weekly.

It looks like the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s 2012 Alien prequel — due on March 4, 2016 — will feature a new type of Xenomorph. Scott says the film’s script is “written (and)…really good” and that in it he’ll be “getting away from gods and dragons and shit. If I see one more dragon I’m going to shoot myself. Stop the dragons.” The director adds that the original Alien‘s Xenomorph is “the definitive dragon and he’s a motherf…ker. The alien’s real which is why it’s probably one of the scariest monsters in film history. So with Prometheus 2 what I’m trying to do is reintroduce a fresher form of alien in the third act.” “The Prometheus ‘baby’ alien was, he concedes, ‘awfully close to the alien’ that tormented Sigourney Weaver. His next one promises to be very different.”

Those of us waiting for a sequel to The Dark Crystal or Labyrinth (pictured above) may have a little longer to wait, but work of the films’ conceptual designer Brian Froud will soon hit the big screen again. “Disney has set Peter Segal to direct Goblins. Segal and his Callahan Filmworks partner Michael Ewing will produce a project based on Goblins! A Survival Guide And Fiasco In Four Parts, a book written by Ari Berk and illustrated by Brian Froud. Tom Astle and Matt Ember have been set to script the adaptation.”

Since it appears Idris Elba is out of Guy Ritchie’s first Knights of the Round Table film, another Marvel movie alum in stepping in to replace him. Guardians of the Galaxy star Djimon Hounsou “is in talks to play the ‘Merlin-esque figure who trains and mentors Arthur’ in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming take on the classic tale, which is being envisioned as a six-part saga at Warner Bros. Apparently this is the role Thor: The Dark World‘s Idris Elba was up for, but scheduling conflicts arose and he was forced to drop out. Hounsou would join Charlie Hunnam in the title role of Arthur Pendragon… The movie is set for a July 22, 2016 release.”

Hammer/Relativity’s sequel to its Daniel Radcliffe-starring hit The Woman in Black arrives on January 2nd, and the film’s trailer has just landed online.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

“During the London bombings of World War II, school teachers Eve Parkins (Phoebe Fox) and Jean Hogg (Helen McCrory) lead a group of children in evacuation to Crythin Gifford, a remote village outside of the city. When the group takes up residence at the Eel Marsh House, 40 years after Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) investigated the first haunting, Eve soon realizes they are not alone. The longer they stay in the house, the more the awful past of the residence unravels itself and the evil spirit that lurks around them threatens the well-being of the children. With the help of a pilot (Jeremy Irvine), Eve does all that she can to protect the children and discover the truth behind the Woman in Black.”

What do you think of today’s top stories? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2014/11/movie-morsels-first-look-at-pitch-perfect-2-prometheus-2s-new-xenomorph-and-the-goblins-of-labyrinth-return/feed/6Movie Morsels: STAR WARS: EPISODE VII Rumor, DEADPOOL Details, POWER RANGERS Director Shake-up, and Morehttp://www.nerdist.com/2014/09/movie-morsels-star-wars-episode-vii-rumor-deadpool-details-power-rangers-director-shake-up-and-more/
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/09/movie-morsels-star-wars-episode-vii-rumor-deadpool-details-power-rangers-director-shake-up-and-more/#commentsMon, 22 Sep 2014 13:00:19 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=184991Did you have a good weekend? I certainly hope see because, like it or not, it’s Monday and we’re staring down the barrel of another workweek. Fortunately, Movie Morsels is here to take the edge off and we’ve got a cavalcade of cinematic news bites to satisfy your hunger. Today’s smorgasbord features Star Wars: Episode VII, Deadpool, Pitch Perfect 2, Stretch, and much more.

Star Wars: Episode VII

This may contain mild spoilers for Star Wars: Episode VII, so if that’s not your bag, just skip ahead.

The latest bit of Star Wars news comes by way of James Bond. No, not the rumor that Daniel Craig filmed a secret cameo for J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII; rather, this one comes courtesy of Roger Moore, who divulged that he’d visited the top-secret set on a recent BBC radio broadcast. Just what did he reveal exactly?

“They were filming something with a lot of mountains and snow.”

Could this be another ice planet a la Hoth? Perhaps. One thing is for sure: it is in keeping with plot details purportedly revealed over on Badass Digest:

“So begins a quest to find the missing Jedi Master. Meanwhile, on an ice planet, nefarious forces are building a super weapon, one capable of destroying not planets but entire solar systems … In many ways this plot of Episode VII is an echo of A New Hope. Instead of R2 coming to Tatooine it’s a hand falling from the sky, but the basic sweep of the story is similar, and intentionally so. But things that seem familiar may not be as familiar as you think – don’t assume that every ice or desert planet in the galaxy has already been visited, if you know what I’m saying.”

Last week, the news that we’d finally be getting a Deadpool feature film had us eating our body weight in celebratory chimichangas. Well, those of you hoping we’d see a gritty, ultraviolent rated-R version of the Merc with a Mouth might be in for some disappointment. On a recent Schmoes Know podcast, they dropped a bit of a bomb after speaking with director Tim Miller:

“I heard from the director that they finally figured out the script…and you guys are all going to hate this: they figured out how to make it PG-13 and therefore not lose its soul – that’s a quote – of the script, so that they can make it.”

Okay — so it might not be what we want, but a PG-13 Deadpool is better than no Deadpool at all, right? [CinemaBlend]

Power Rangers

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Having apparently reached critical mass for big budget adaptations of nerdy franchises, Roberto Orci has dropped out of Lionsgate’s forthcoming Power Rangers film due to scheduling conflicts with Star Trek 3, which he is writing and directing. Screenwriters Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller (X-Men: First Class) are penning the reboot of the long-running franchise, which is set for a July 22, 2016 release date. No word yet on who will play Rita Repulsa, but my money is on Nicki Minaj. [Deadline]

The Maze Runner

Did you see The Maze Runner this weekend? I didn’t, but evidently enough of you guys did to warrant Fox already greenlighting the sequel and giving it a release date. The film based on James Dashner’s eponymous YA novel grossed $32.5 million domestically this weekend, paving the way for a sequel. The Scorch Trials, as it will be called, is dated for September 18, 2015. Well, it wasn’t the birthday present I had asked for Fox, but I’ll take what I can get. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Pitch Perfect 2

New Pitch Perfect 2 details, you say? Aca-scuse me if I cut to the chase and let you know exactly what director Elizabeth Banks had to say about the sequel:

“The girls are now graduating seniors. They’re coming to the end of their time as Bellas and figuring out how to sort of leave the nest and the comfort of each other’s friendship and figure out what they’re going to do with the rest of their lives.”

No words yet about what the status of Beca (Anna Kendrick) and Jesse’s (Skylar Astin) relationship, but if Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) is back, then we’re definitely onboard. Banks also elaborated on the film’s musical influences and appearances from a cappella groups like Pentatonix, the Filharmonic, and Penn Masala.:

“It’s all about authenticity in the a capella world. We really want to honor that and honor the people who are really doing it out there who we’re inspired by when we make the movie.”

I could tell you how this makes us feel, but this GIF does a much better job:

Though Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunter was one of the silliest-sounding film of last year, the joke might be on us. The film grossed $55 million domestically and a reported $170 internationally, so the Paramount asked writer-director Tommy Wirkola to work on a sequel. In an interview at Fantastic Fest, Wirkola confirmed that the sequel script is done, and it’s in the studio’s hands now:

“I’ve written the script for it. I’ve given it to Paramount and it’s up to them now. But I don’t know what’s going to happen. Jeremy [Renner] is so busy these days, I don’t know how they’re going to juggle all of that, but it’s up to [Paramount]. We’ll see. Hopefully, I’ll get to do another film first. They really liked the script I gave them. The first film was a learning curve for me working in the studio system and the script I wrote for the original was so different. We ended up taking a lot out and altering stuff that first time. I’m smarter now. I tried taking what I learned and still delivered a sequel script that’s an R-rated action film.”

Given Renner’s increasingly busy schedule, it could be difficult to get the sequel made, but then again weirder things have happened (like film happening in the first place). [ShockTillYouDrop]

Edward Snowden

Over a year after analyst Edward Snowden leaked classified NSA information and was forced into exile, we may be seeing a big screen adaptation of his story. Oliver Stone is gearing up to make a narrative feature film called The Snowden Files, and it’s looking like the top contender to play Edward Snowden is none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film hope to start production this December in Munich. As for JGL, he has a busy dance card between adapting Neil Gaiman’s Sandman for the big screen, playing high-wire artist Philippe Petit in Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk, and reuniting with his 50/50 pals Seth Rogen and Jonathan Levine for a Christmas comedy. [ComingSoon]

Stretch

Joe Carnahan’s Stretch, the story of an a debt-ridden chauffeur (Patrick Wilson) who winds up carting around an eccentric billionaire (Chris Pine) on what turns out to be a ride to hell and back, look absolutely batshit crazy. Still, it’s the kind of batshit crazy that intrigues me, and Merrill Barr won’t shut up about it, so it must be worth checking out. Here’s three new clips that add 100% more David Hasselhoff to the mix.

—

What do you think of tonight’s top stories? Let us know in the comments below or tell me on Twitter.

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2014/09/movie-morsels-star-wars-episode-vii-rumor-deadpool-details-power-rangers-director-shake-up-and-more/feed/5And Now: The Boys of PITCH PERFECT 2 Sing a Patriotic Ditty Because AMERICAhttp://www.nerdist.com/2014/07/and-now-the-boys-of-pitch-perfect-2-sing-a-patriotic-ditty-because-america/
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/07/and-now-the-boys-of-pitch-perfect-2-sing-a-patriotic-ditty-because-america/#commentsSat, 05 Jul 2014 00:00:26 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=164397♫♪ AAAAMERIIIIIICA, Ameeeeeerica! ♫♪ Oh, sorry: do you not enjoy our singing-via-blog-post? We’ll have you know that, like these wee lads from Pitch Perfect 2, we have quite the singing voice. It’s a thing of beauty, really (woops our modesty is showing). If it’s not translating for you on the page well then that’s on you. Thankfully for any of you that need your “America the Beautiful” fix, allow Skylar Astin and Ben Platt to do it for you.

Their voices are so melodious and in sync it’ll transform you into a bald eagle, soaring about a Rocky Mountain-framed sky with a single tear streaming from your eye, your talon clenched in a tiny fist as your whisper-chant USA! USA! USA! At the same time, those red, white, and blue stars and bars come into view before exploding into a litany of apple pies and baseball bats that then turn into a flurry of fireworks, raining down on a totally jacked President Barack Obama, parachuting off Mount Rushmore while drinking a Mountain Dew.

But don’t just take our word for it, watch the video — via the film’s director, Elizabeth Bank’s Facebook profile — and bask in the glory of this patriotic mini-moment before you all head out to your neighborhood barbecue.

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2014/07/and-now-the-boys-of-pitch-perfect-2-sing-a-patriotic-ditty-because-america/feed/2Get Aca-Excited Because Pentatonix Will Be in PITCH PERFECT 2http://www.nerdist.com/2014/06/get-aca-excited-because-pentatonix-will-be-in-pitch-perfect-2/
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/06/get-aca-excited-because-pentatonix-will-be-in-pitch-perfect-2/#commentsWed, 25 Jun 2014 18:45:36 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=161321The Barden Bellas will be up against some serious competition in Pitch Perfect 2: a cappella group Pentatonix is joining the cast as their new rivals. The group won the third season of NBC’s The Sing-Off in 2011 and have released a few albums since then. Members Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly and said they won’t be playing themselves in the film, but we’ll definitely be able to tell it’s them. In order to retain their signature sound, the members of the group arranged the song they were given. And they’ll stick to singing; none of them has any dialogue.

Pentatonix spent a full 12 hour day on set, and Hoying stated they’re “wearing some pretty interesting things.” Given the kinds of outfits we saw in the original Pitch Perfect, “interesting” seems like a suitable description. They got involved with Pitch Perfect 2 because of mutual friends. Deke Sharon, who arranged music both on The Sing-Off and Pitch Perfect, and the film’s publicist, helped get Pentatonix in the door. Fans also tweeted at the producers and asked for the Pentatonix to be cast. Since Pentatonix is one of the more well known a cappella groups out there, it seems like an aca-natural fit.

If you’re not familiar with Pentatonix, you can improve your Wednesday by spending some quality time with their YouTube channel. Here are a couple of my favorites:

What do you think about this addition to Pitch Perfect 2? Sound off in the comments.

]]>http://www.nerdist.com/2014/06/get-aca-excited-because-pentatonix-will-be-in-pitch-perfect-2/feed/7Acapella Boy Skylar Astin Returns for PITCH PERFECT 2http://www.nerdist.com/2014/05/acapella-boy-skylar-astin-returns-for-pitch-perfect-2/
http://www.nerdist.com/2014/05/acapella-boy-skylar-astin-returns-for-pitch-perfect-2/#commentsThu, 22 May 2014 00:34:41 +0000http://www.nerdist.com/?p=150761Looks like we’re getting in more treble as Barden’s lover boy, Skylar Astin is returning for Pitch Perfect 2. He’s reprising his role of Jesse, the love interest of Anna Kendrick’s Beca. While his appearance shouldn’t come off as a surprise, it was thanks to Jesse’s roommate, Benji, or rather actor Ben Platt’s tweet seen below, that we got sound-proof evidence of his return.

In the movie, Astin’s character, Jesse, became the lead vocalist for the Barden Treblemakers when Adam DeVine’s Bumper Allen left to pursue a back-up singing career. Now that we know both bad boys are making a return to the sequel, will real trouble find the Treblemakers?

Astin is the latest addiction to the already talented cast that features the recently announced Katey Sagal, Hailee Steinfeld, as well as returning Bellas Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Brittany Snow.